The top electoral body of Turkey on Thursday rejected a request by leading pro-Kurdish parties to overturn a decision banning candidates from the March 31 municipal elections, the Anatolia News Agency reported.

Last week, the panel decided not to hand over certificates confirming the victory of candidates who had been sacked in the wake of the failed coup attempt in July 2016.

The pro-Kurdish Democratic People's Party immediately called for the repeal of this decision, which is affecting many of its candidates whose results have been canceled, despite the fact that the Commission allowed them to run.

But the body rejected the request, which includes six provinces, and will announce the victory of the candidates who have been ranked second in the municipalities concerned.

An official in the party - asking not to be named - this rejection, pointing out that this decision of the Supreme Commission is final.

More than 140,000 public servants were fired in Turkey by legislative decree after the failed coup attempt in July 2016, which Ankara attributed to Islamic preacher Fathullah Gulen.

In addition to the supposed supporters of Gulen, these purges were especially targeted by the pro-Kurdish forces.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accuses the Democratic People's Party of being linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and has been oppressed by the People's Party since 2016, with its presidents and many of its officials suspended.

Dozens of mayors of the party were also dismissed and replaced by certain others from the Ministry of the Interior between 2016 and 2017.